


i fell for you honey (easy as falling asleep)

by sxntiago



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Light-Hearted, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24869266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxntiago/pseuds/sxntiago
Summary: One week before her older brothers wedding, Amy Santiago royally screws up. Frustrated by her overbearing mothers constant badgering, Amy lies about having a boyfriend and, much to her dismay, the first name to come to her mind is that of Jake Peralta, her irritating and childish co-worker. Spending an entire weekend pretending to be a couple, they are forced to confront their underlying feelings for one another, and Amy realises this situation they find themselves in might not be quite as unfortunate as she first thought.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 50
Kudos: 252





	1. i never meant to start a fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi, everyone! this story is set between s2e14 and s2e21 (aka the peraltiago sweet spot). i really hope you all enjoy it and i will be sure to update regularly! i’ve been working on it on and off for about a month so i have everything outlined already!
> 
> title is from good intentions paving company by joanna newsom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from i’ll be good by jaymes young.

**i fell for you honey (easy as falling asleep)**

_chapter one: i never meant to start a fire_

Amy Santiago stumbled into the darkness of her apartment, fumbling for the light switch, and flicking it on hastily. As the room flooded with light, she hurriedly kicked off her heels and then shrugged off her jacket, taking the time to hang it neatly on the hook near the front door. She threw her purse down on the couch and, with a loud sigh, collapsed next to it and sunk backwards into the cushion.

Her day at work had been particularly long and, subsequently, particularly stressful, and now that she was home, she could hardly bare to keep her eyes open. She and Jake had closed an important case the week before and, in true Jake Peralta fashion, he had managed to misplace a critical piece of paperwork, so they’d spent the majority of the day searching high and low for it. Even though they’d eventually managed to locate it and file it away correctly, Amy still felt frustrated with him, but when he’d fetched her a coffee and doughnut from the breakroom, she couldn’t help the slight smile that spread across her face.

She was glad things were no longer awkward between them after their disaster of a road trip three months ago. He still made jokes every so often about how she used to like him, but they both knew the feelings that once lingered between them were in the past. It felt good to be able to talk to him as a partner again – as a _friend_ – without constantly worrying that he might get the wrong impression and think she was flirting. For the first time in a while, they were both single, but it didn’t matter, because they were just friends, and that was the way it was supposed to be.

Amy rubbed her face with the palm of her hand in hopes of waking herself up somewhat. As she reached up out for the television remote with her free hand, her cell phone began ringing loudly from inside her purse, and she jumped in surprise at the sudden obnoxious noise.

She fished her cell phone out of her purse and held it out in front of her. A groan erupted from her throat as she read the caller ID, and she rolled her eyes in exasperation.

She should’ve known her mom would call that night. It was the third time that week, after all.

Hesitantly, she tapped the answer button as she tucked her feet up under her, bringing the phone up to her ear. “Hello?” Amy tried not to sound too deflated. Her mom would notice any hint of unease immediately and proceed to interrogate her about her day, trying to hunt down an issue that was entirely non-existent until she had made the decision to call.

“Mija? It’s mom.” Camilla always had a habit of shouting during phone calls, and this caused Amy to wince quietly and pull the phone away from her ear slightly in an attempt to avoid permanent damage to her hearing.

“Hi, mom,” Amy said. Her eyes locked onto the bottle of red wine sitting on the kitchen countertop and she stared at it longingly. She had a feeling this conversation might be easier if she was at least a little bit intoxicated. Her mom only ever called to complain, after all.

“I’m calling to remind you about Manny’s wedding next weekend. You do remember, don’t you?”

Amy rolled her eyes and scoffed under her breath. “Yes, mom. I _do_ remember that my older brother is getting married next week.” How could she forget, especially when her mom had called her at least seven times already that month to remind her? “I promise I won’t forget.”

“Well, you can’t blame me for calling. You’re not always the most organised person in the world, Amelia. I worry about you sometimes.”

Amy squeezed her eyes closed, releasing a quiet sigh. Literally everyone else in her life would probably class her as one of, if not _the_ , most organised person in the world, but in her family, nothing she ever did was quite good enough – especially when compared to stupid David and his stupid achievements.

“Okay. Well, thanks for calling, mom. I’ll see you next-”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Camilla’s voice became even louder, and Amy held the phone further away from her ear, rolling her eyes as she waited for her mother to continue. “You _are_ bringing a date, aren’t you?”

Amy hesitated momentarily, before quietly saying, “Things between Teddy and I didn’t work out.” Until that moment, she’d somehow been able to hide her recent breakup from her interfering parents, but now everything was coming to light and Amy didn’t think she’d like her mom’s reaction all that much.

“Oh, Amelia,” Camilla sighed, sounding worried and condescending all at once, with just a splash of the disappointment that Amy had grown so used to hearing. “What happened? I thought things were going well between the two of you. You know, you really have to start to think about settling down. You’re getting older, Amy, and women don’t have the same luxuries as men. Your father will be very disappointed to hear that you aren’t bringing a date. We-”

“I _am_ bringing a date,” Amy blurted without giving it a second thought. Almost immediately after, when her brain caught up with her words, she shot to her feet, covering her mouth with her hand, and cursing herself silently.

She didn’t _have_ a date to take to the wedding.

“What? You are?” Camilla asked, her voice filled with confusion and a hint of hope. “This is amazing news, Amelia. What is his name?”

“Jake,” Amy said immediately, and she wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe because he was the first person to come to mind, but she didn’t exactly have an explanation for that either. She raked a hand through her hair worriedly. “Jake Peralta.”

This was a bad idea. In fact, it was probably the worst idea Amy had ever had in her life. But, as if acting as a defensive mechanism, her mouth was working without the permission of her brain, and it was far too late to turn back now.

“Your partner from work?” Camilla questioned slowly.

“Uh, yup,” Amy replied faintly. “Yup. That Jake. Jake from work. My partner, Jake.”

“I didn’t know you two were seeing each other.”

“Well, we are.” Amy felt her defences beginning to rise. She’d be so embarrassed if her mom found out she was lying and, to make matters worse, Amy knew that Camilla would tell the rest of the family about it. She’d never hear the end of it, especially from David.

“Oh, mija. I’m so happy for you.” Camilla’s mood seemed to have brightened. Her tone had done a complete one-eighty-degree flip and Amy wanted nothing more than to revel in the rare moment of approval, but a pool of anxiety was bubbling in her stomach as the reality of her lie began to sink in.

“Thanks, mom,” Amy said quietly, trying to sound as convincingly happy as she possibly could even though her knees were rattling together, her legs threatening to give out beneath her.

“We can’t wait to meet him.”

Amy swallowed thickly, trying to control her breathing, and stumbled back to the couch, perching on the arm. “He can’t wait to meet you guys either.” She picked at a loose thread on her pants, desperate for something to focus on other than the sudden buzzing in her ears. “I’ll see you next week, mom. Thanks for calling.”

Amy hung up after that, not bothering to wait for her mother to reply. With a loud sigh, she flopped backwards onto the body of the couch, tossing her cell phone to the side. She ran her hands through her hair and then dropped her face into them.

What in the world had she been thinking, what in the world was she going to do and, more importantly, how the _hell_ was she going to ask Jake Peralta to be her fake boyfriend for the weekend?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments and kudos are never expected but always appreciated! thanks for reading <3


	2. the long road begins and ends with you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from have one on me by joanna newsom

_chapter two: the long road begins and ends with you_

When Jake entered the bullpen the next day, thirteen minutes late for his shift, Amy’s heart did a somersault and landed in her tight throat. She kept her head down, typing away intently on her keyboard, though all thoughts of the case laid out before her had been thrown out of her brain and replaced with the worry of how Jake might react to her dilemma. 

“Hey, loser.” Jake greeted her in his usual joking manner. Amy glanced up to see him smiling goofily at her as he slipped his black leather jacket off and hung it on the back of his chair.

Amy rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the nervous pounding of her heart. “Good morning, dumbass. You realise you’re almost fifteen minutes late, right?”

Jake glanced down at his watch and shook his head. “I am, in fact, only thirteen-minutes-and-forty-seven-seconds late,” he looked back up at Amy, an amused twinkle in his brown eyes, “so suck on that, Santiago!”

Amy shook her head incredulously, raising an eyebrow at him. “I was rounding up. You _do_ know how to round up, don’t you?”

“Ouch,” Jake replied, pressing a hand to his chest dramatically as he flopped down in his chair.

Amy hummed in response even though she knew he was being sarcastic, dropping her eyes back to her computer screen. “I need you to sign something for me.” She paused, pulling up the document. “It’s from that B and E last weekend.”

Jake nodded. “I can do that. Do you have it now?”

He was gazing at her intently in the way that always made her cheeks heat up, and she could feel herself becoming flustered as she stuttered out, “What? Oh, uh, no. I just sent it to the printer room. I’ll go get it.”

“Awesome. I’ll come with.”

As Amy followed Jake towards the printer room, she discreetly wiped the sweat from her hands onto the back of her pants and took a few deep, calming breaths. The conversation she was about to have with her partner was not going to be a pleasant one for her, but she got herself into this mess, and now she had to get herself out of it, even if that meant Jake making fun of her for a little while (okay, or for a _long_ while).

Inside the printer room, Jake headed straight for the machine while Amy hung back, hovering near the door. She closed the door over gently and pressed her back against it, searching her brain for any possible way to say what she had to say without sounding completely crazy.

“Okay, so you just want me to sign it?” Jake asked, looking down at the sheet of paper in his hands as he turned towards Amy. When she didn’t reply, he glanced up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “What’s wrong? No offence, but you kind of look like you just saw a ghost.”

Amy swallowed thickly. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, still undecided on how to phrase her absurd request. Jake was smiling in an amused manner, watching with one eyebrow raised in question.

“Fine,” she sighed out finally. “I need to ask a favour of you.”

“Oh.” Jake’s face relaxed slightly. “Sure. Go ahead.”

Amy took yet another deep breath to steady herself and tried not to think about the ridicule she was surely about to face. “Okay,” she said quietly, taking a step towards Jake who was now leaning against the printer, arms crossed over his chest with the paperwork still held in his left hand. “This is going to sound really crazy.”

“Hey, I can do crazy,” Jake said calmly, still watching Amy intently.

“I just… I kind of- well, I told my mom that we’re dating,” she muttered, “and that you were coming to my brothers wedding next weekend, and… I guess I was wondering if you’d come with me and just… pretend? Just for one weekend?”

“You… _what?”_

Amy groaned. “I know. I don’t know why I said it. You can say no.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” His eyes were twinkling the way they always did when something was funny to him, and his lips were pressed into a tight line that alerted Amy to the fact that he was desperately trying not to burst out into laughter. “You told your mom that I’m your _boyfriend?”_

“I- yeah.” Amy sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know why I said it. She brought up the fact that I didn’t have a date and I felt pretty pathetic and I… it just came out. I guess you were the first person that came to mind.” She reached up to twirl a strand of her hair round her finger self-consciously.

“Let me get this straight.” A wide smile was beginning to spread across Jake’s face, which told Amy that he was enjoying this just as much as she had thought he would. “You told your mom that we’re _dating_ and that I’m coming to your _brothers wedding_ with you?” His grin widened impossibly more when Amy nodded slightly, screwing her face up. “Wow, Santiago. _Wow.”_

“I know.”

“So, does this mean you’re still madly in love with me?”

“Jake,” Amy whined pitifully.

“Well, it’s a fair question. I know I’m completely irresistible but come on, Ames.” He shook his head despite the huge, goofy smile on his lips.

“Jake,” Amy said, firmer this time. “I know you love torturing me-”

Jake interrupted her to say, “I do,” in a thoroughly delighted voice.

“-but I’m embarrassed enough.” Amy finished her sentence, giving him a stern look. “So, will you come with me or not?” She sighed quietly and added, “You can say no.”

Jake bit his lip, clearly to keep the look of glee on his face from intensifying anymore. “Hmm, very tempting offer, Santiago.” He reached up to stroke his chin dramatically as if in thought. “You’d owe me _big_ time.”

“I would,” Amy agreed with a nod.

“Hmm,” Jake repeated, switching to tapping his chin animatedly.

“Are you gonna make me beg?” Amy asked dryly.

“Maybe!” Jake exclaimed happily, his eyes lighting up. Amy puffed out a loud sigh, rolling her eyes, and placing her hands on her hips, and Jake shrugged. “Okay. Fine. I’ll come with you.”

“What? You will?”

“Sure.” Jake shrugged again, as if it was no big deal, as if it was the easiest decision he’d ever made, even after putting Amy through what felt like an endless few minutes of psychological torture. “Sounds like a pretty good opportunity to make fun of you, so I’m in.”

“The wedding’s in Long Island. It’s a whole weekend thing.” Amy said the words slowly, giving him the option to back out now if he wanted to.

“That’s fine. Pretty sure Boyle will pick up my shifts for me if I ask him.”

Amy chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously, her stomach fluttering. “And you’re sure it won’t be weird? You know, with our… history?” She was referring, of course, to the two times Jake had told her he had feelings for her over the past year, as well as to the time her ex-boyfriend told Jake she liked him back, the latter of which occurred only a few months before.

“It won’t be weird,” Jake said confidently. He proceeded to retrieve a pen from the pocket of his pants and then turned away from Amy so he could place the paperwork on top of the printer and sign his name. “Everything between us is in the past so- damn it. No ink.”

Amy immediately pulled a pen out of her own pocket and passed it to him, and he accepted it and scribbled his signature down. “Okay. As long as you’re sure.”

“I am.” He straightened his back out and grinned reassuringly, holding the sheet of paper out towards her.

She took it and felt herself smiling back at him. “Thanks, Jake,” she said. “And… thanks for helping me out.”

“You’re welcome,” Jake said softly, and they gazed at each other for a moment longer, both smiling slightly. Amy found herself getting lost in his brown eyes, studying the golden flecks within them and the way they sparkled under the harsh office light. She remembered for a second what it meant to appreciate Jake Peralta, but then he pointed at her and gleefully said, “You’re driving!” and left the room with a bounce in his step.

Amy sighed as she watched him leave. This was going to be a _very_ long weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hopefully you enjoyed this chapter! i always love to see kudos and comments but please don’t feel obliged! thank you for reading <3


	3. as long as you’re next to me, just the two of us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from my kind of woman by mac demarco.

_chapter three: as long as you're next to me, just the two of us_

On the Friday afternoon that Jake and Amy were set to make their trip to Long Island, Amy waited for Jake outside of his apartment building in the comfort of her car. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent him a quick text to tell him that she had arrived, and then she honked her horn once for good measure.

As she waited for him, she found herself becoming slightly nervous. It would be oh-so-easy for one of them to slip up, to lapse into friendship mode and give the whole lie away, and on top of that, even though Jake had promised it wouldn’t be, Amy had to admit she was worried that things might be awkward. After all, for two colleagues, both of whom had both admitted to liking each other in the not so distant past, pretending to be in a relationship with each other could only go so well.

Amy jumped slightly as the passenger door to her car opened, startling her out of her trance, and then Jake flopped into the passenger seat. He had a large backpack with him which he placed between his legs as he pulled the door closed after him.

“Hey,” Amy said, smiling. “Ready to go?”

“Sure am,” he replied, clicking his seatbelt into place.

Amy started the car up and began to drive out of the street. The drive to Long Island was over an hour long and she was eager to get going. She reached out and turned the radio on for entertainment.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Jake said. Amy glanced to her side to see him rummaging around in his bag. He pulled out and brandished a Taylor Swift album with a goofy grin on his face.

Amy rolled her eyes but couldn’t seem to keep the smile off her face – she’d always found Jake’s fixation on Taylor Swift strangely endearing. “Go ahead.”

Jake immediately slipped the disc into the player and the car filled with upbeat music. He turned the volume up and leaned back in his seat with a happy sigh, and Amy put her full attention back on the road ahead of her.

Jake tapped the side of his leg to the beat of the music. “What are your family like? What should I expect?”

Amy sighed quietly in response to his question. “They’re good people, but they can be overbearing and controlling.”

“Oh, so that’s where you get it.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Jake,” she said sternly.

Jake laughed. “Remind me of your brothers names again.”

“David, Manny, Tony, Dominic, Mateo, Luis and Diego.”

“Wow. Okay.”

Amy chuckled, nodding in understanding. “Don’t worry if you can’t remember them all right away.”

“I definitely will _not_ remember them all,” he replied, gaining another tuneful laugh from Amy. “Hmm, I wonder how many embarrassing stories about your childhood I can get them to tell me.”

“Jake,” Amy whined. She glanced to her side to see Jake smirking, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Nuh-uh,” he said, waggling his finger. “You owe me, remember? Embarrassing stories about your childhood are the _least_ I deserve.”

“You didn’t have to do this, you know?” Amy said quietly, dropping her head slightly in shame. Despite her proud demeaner, she was quite embarrassed by the situation she had gotten the two of them into.

“I know.”

Amy flashed him a grateful smile. Her chest began to feel tight and her stomach was fluttering, so she turned back to the road and took a discreet breath to gather herself.

“Okay, we should run through the things you can and can’t say to my parents,” Amy said.

“Wait, there are things I _can’t_ stay?” Jake groaned. “You didn't tell me there were _rules._ That makes this whole thing way less fun.”

“This isn’t about having fun.”

“Isn’t that what weddings are all about? Having fun?”

“Not this wedding.”

Jake huffed out a laugh. “Okay. Should I take notes, or…?”

“Definitely,” Amy said with a nod.

“I was kidding,” Jake said sheepishly, and Amy gave him a pointed look, “ _but_ if it would make you feel better-”

“It would.”

“Fine. Do you have a pen and notepad?”

“In the glove compartment.”

Jake located the notepad and pen in the glove compartment and flipped it open to an empty page, removing the pen cap with his teeth and earning a glare for this from Amy.

They spent the rest of the car ride running through the things that Jake was and was not permitted to say and do in the presence of her family. Amy talked and Jake listened, and it was a pleasant change to their usual dynamic. Jake made a list of all the rules he had to follow in handwriting that Amy couldn’t read even if her life depended on it but that Jake swore he could interpret, and they listened to his Taylor Swift CD three times over and joked around and laughed, and it was _nice._

So nice, in fact, that by the time they arrived in Long Island, Amy had almost entirely forgotten about how rough the weekend was about to become.

Jake was flipping through the three pages of notes he’d written, scanning them with his tongue slightly stuck out in concentration. Amy patted his upper arm gently, gaining his attention in the form of a small, “Huh?”

“We’re here,” she said quietly.

“Right,” Jake said understandingly. “Don’t worry. You clued me up on the rules. You quizzed me. More than once. Everything is gonna be fine.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

Amy snorted. “That’s definitely not true.”

“It’s a proven fact.”

Amy exhaled shakily. “You got the itinerary I sent you, right?” The silence filling the car gave her all the answer she needed. “Jake, seriously? The itinerary I emailed you. You got it, right?”

“What itinerary?”

“Seriously?” Amy cried exasperatedly.

“I’m sorry!” Jake exclaimed, holding his hands up in mock surrender though he seemed to be trying to keep a smile off of his face. “I’ll check right now!”

“No, it doesn’t matter.” Amy sighed. “We’re meeting my parents at a restaurant for dinner in,” she glanced at the clock on the dashboard, “twenty-five minutes.”

Jake nodded. “Got it.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t read my itinerary,” Amy muttered. “It was colour coded. I was really proud of it.”

Jake merely chuckled.

They made it to the restaurant over fifteen minutes early, but just as Amy had suspected, her parents were already there (or, at least judging by the presence of their car in the parking lot, they were). She groaned inwardly as she parked her own car next to theirs, her hands tightening on the steering wheel in frustration.

“Okay, let’s run through everything one last time-” Amy began, but Jake quickly cut her off.

“Ames,” he said gently, a softness that Amy didn’t often see appearing. “We don’t have to go over it again. I’ve got it, I promise.”

Amy hesitated for a moment, slightly unsure, and then nodded with a slight sigh. “Okay.”

She was shaking like a leaf as she climbed out of the car and her breathing was ragged and uneven. She steadied herself against the side of the car, taking a deep inhale through her nose and then blowing it out through her lips, and then she turned to Jake, who was waiting for her.

He smiled lopsidedly. “Nervous?”

Amy nodded.

Jake didn’t respond, instead extending his hand towards her. When Amy gave him a questioning look, he smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “We’re supposed to be dating, right? We should hold hands.”

Amy stared at his extended hand for a moment longer as if frozen in place. The world seemed to fall away around her and all she could focus on was _whether or not she should hold Jake’s hand._ She glanced back up to see him watching her carefully, looking only slightly concerned.

Finally, she blew out a breath and nodded. Steeling herself, she reached out and placed her hand in his. She watched as their fingers intertwined, and then, holding her breath, she looked up in time to see a small, lopsided grin spread across Jake’s face.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” she confirmed, and he led her inside the restaurant.

The restaurant was dimly lit, and fancier inside than it looked on the outside. It was typical of Amy’s parents to pick somewhere like this, and as she glanced between her own clothes and Jake’s, she realised that neither of them were anywhere need dressed up enough. This fact alone doubled her nerves in the span of only a few seconds.

She spotted her parents almost instantly, seated at a circular table in the middle of the room. She nudged Jake gently and his gaze travelled towards her parents.

“That’s them over there?” Jake asked, and as he did Amy’s parents spotted them. Her mom began pointing and waving and Jake waved back awkwardly with his free hand.

“Yep,” Amy replied through her tight smile.

Jake squeezed her hand gently in an act of reassurance and she felt a wave of warmth roll through her body.

Camilla rose to her feet as the pair approached, while Victor remained seated. Amy wasn’t surprised by this. Her father had always been more reserved than her mother, especially when it came to her dating, though she knew he was secretly just as desperate for her to settle down as her mother was. In her family, though women were expected to make something of themselves career wise, they were also expected to have children and carry on the Santiago tradition of having a huge family. 

“Amelia,” Camilla said in place of a greeting, holding out her hands and ushering Amy forward. “So good to see you.” She paused. "What are you wearing?"

Amy ignored her mother's last comment and separated her hand from Jake’s, meeting her mother halfway and excepting her hug (she knew her mom would never give up, so it was easier to just let it happen).

“Hi, momma,” she said as they separated, forcing a smile onto her face in an attempt to hide her nerves. She glanced over at mom’s shoulder at her dad. “Hi, dad.” 

Victor grunted in reply, nodding his head in acknowledgement, though Amy could see that most of his attention seemed to be focused on Jake.

Amy’s date was hanging back where she left him when she separated her hand from his, looking like somewhat of a spare part. Amy smiled reassuringly at him and approached him, trying to seem confident when she wrapped her arm around his bicep and leaned into him. She ignored his flinch and took a deep breath.

“Mom. Dad. This is my boyfriend, Jake.”


	4. you don’t want to be alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from ‘what you know’ by two door cinema club

“It’s good to meet you both, Mr and Mrs Santiago. I’m Jake Peralta.”

If Amy didn’t know Jake as well as she did, she might’ve missed the slight nervous edge to his voice, but as it was, she knew him better than just about anyone else in the world, so she picked up on it right away. She tightened her grip on his arm slightly in a comforting squeeze, and felt his body relax just slightly as a result.

"We’re happy to finally meet you too, Jake. We’ve heard so much about you,” Camilla replied with a sickly-sweet smile as she took her seat. “Aren’t we, Victor?”

Mr Santiago merely grunted in response.

“We should sit,” Amy suggested to Jake, and he smiled weakly in response as he gave her a nod of agreement.

They took their seats quickly, Amy exhaling shakily as she went. She flashed a nervous smile at her dad. “Hey, dad,” she said.

“It’s good to see you, sweetheart,” he replied.

“So, Jake, you’re Amy’s partner at work?” Camilla asked, sounding curious.

Jake nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Jake’s been my partner ever since I started working at the Nine-Nine.” Amy added in an attempt to take the spotlight away from Jake slightly. She could tell he was feeling nervous, which was not a common emotion for Jake.

“But you only started dating recently?” Victor asked.  
Amy glanced at him, surprised by the question. She knew that her parents would definitely want to vet Jake, but she hadn’t realised it would be so obvious and immediate.

“Yes, sir,” Jake replied, and Amy could barely hold back a smirk at his use of ‘ma’am’ and ‘sir’. He was clearly intimidated by her parents, and she didn’t blame him.  
“We started dating around two months ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Amy?” Camilla asked, looking slightly offended.

“Sorry,” Amy mumbled in response. In all honestly, she was quite impressed with how calm, collected, and believable Jake was coming across at that current moment. It was much more than she had ever expected from him, and she was slightly perplexed at the idea that Jake actually cared what her parents thought of him. He hadn’t made fun of her even once yet.

“She can be so secretive,” Camilla continued, addressing Jake this time. “In fact, I’m not sure she was even going to bring you this weekend. We-”

“Mom,” Amy said. She was already growing tired of her mother’s criticisms of her, especially since she knew Jake would pick up on the obvious tension in the room and comment on it later.

Camilla gave Amy a questioning stare, which the younger woman held from across the table. A shiver ran up Amy’s spine at the slightly annoyed look on her mom’s face, and she braced herself as Camilla opened her mouth to reply, ready for whatever biting remark about her lack of progress in life was about to pierce the air.

But before her mother could speak, Amy was saved by the presence of a waiter at the side of the table.

“Can I get you all started with some drinks?”

A quiet sigh of relief escaped Amy’s lips as her parents began to fuss over the wine lists laid out in front of them. It took her a moment to notice Jake’s slightly concerned gaze on her, and she gave him a nervous smile, straightening her back out slightly to appear more confident before dipping her head to study her menu. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Jake’s eyes linger on her for a moment before he shook his head slightly and forced his gaze back to his own menu.

Apart from Jake trying to order a can of orange soda instead of a glass of wine, the rest of the dinner went surprisingly smoothly. Amy tried to keep the topic of conversation away from herself and Jake, which ended up being frustratingly easy since her dad stayed entirely silent for the majority of the two hours that they spent at the restaurant, and her mom spent most of the time talking about David, Amy’s oldest brother.

Even though things seemed to go well, Amy was still happy to escape the restaurant when everything was said and done. In fact, when her parents finally separated from them and climbed into their own car, Amy felt herself release a breath that she hadn’t even realised she was holding, and as she and Jake got back into her car, it was as if a tremendous weight was lifted from her shoulders.

“Hey, that wasn’t so bad, right?” Jake asked, sounding hopeful.

Amy glanced to her side to look at him, offering him a half-hearted smile. “I guess it didn’t go terribly.”

Jake flashed a smile back at her as she started up the hair. “So, where’s next?”

“I guess my parents booked everyone rooms at a nearby hotel?” She paused, mulling this over, and then sighed. “Lets just hope we don’t run into any of my brothers.”

“Why would that be a bad thing? Don’t you miss them?”

“I love my brothers…” Amy trailed off.

“…But?” Jake prompted softly.

Amy glanced at him, lips pursed, and puffed a breath out through her lips at the gentle look on his face that told her she could trust him with just about anything. “Fine. I guess I’m just- I’m tired of being second best,” she paused, “or eighth best, I guess.”

“Come on, Santiago. Your parents love you.”

“I know that,” she replied quickly. “I know they love me. They just love my brothers more, and they always will.” She sighed, focusing her eyes back on the road. “I’ll never be good enough. I guess I just have to accept that.”

Jake didn’t say anything for the rest of the car ride, and neither did Amy.

The hotel was barely ten minutes away from the restaurant, and as they pulled up outside, Amy began to feel slightly more relaxed. Soon enough, she’d be tucked up in bed alone. She’d finally have some privacy after a day full of Jake and his incessant talking and his unusual and irritating kindness, and she couldn’t wait.

“Let’s go,” she said, climbing out of the car.

Amy carried her bags and Jake carried his, and they made their way inside of the hotel. It was small but luxurious, and Amy felt only slightly bitter because this is exactly the type of place her parents would choose to stay in. Of course it was.

She could only be glad they were paying for it and not her.

Jake yawned beside her as they approached the front desk. She glanced at him and he smiled sheepishly. “M‘sleepy,” he said simply.

Amy threw him a quick smile and tried to ignore the fact that he looked a lot like a cute little kitten in that moment as she turned towards the front desk. 

“Hi,” she said. “There should be two rooms under Amy Santiago.”

The receptionist looked up from his computer and smiled in place of a greeting, before going back to looking at the computer screen. His smile faltered slightly.

“I only have one room reserved under that name, ma’am.”

“No, that can’t be right,” Amy said, shaking her head. “There should be two, because...” she trailed off. 

_Shit_.

“Shit,” she said out loud, muttering the word under her breath.

“Is everything okay, ma’am?” The receptionist asked.

“Yeah,” Amy replied, “yeah, everything’s fine.”

  
But everything was not fine, because the realisation was suddenly dawning on her. She and Jake were there as a couple. A _couple_. Which meant one room.

And one room, meant one bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so idk if this fic could get any more clichéd??? but you know what it’s fun so idc hahaha 
> 
> sorry that i’ve been totally m.i.a for like a month. i’m back now, so expect at least somewhat regular updates. 
> 
> as always, kudos & comments are never expected but always very appreciated. ily guys, thanks for sticking with me <3


	5. just say the word and i’ll be yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from ‘giants’ by dermot kennedy

Amy Santiago and Jake Peralta stood silently side-by-side, staring at the bed in the middle of the hotel room.

One bed. For the two of them.

They had been standing there for at least five minutes, not saying a word to each other, all their attention focused on the plush bed a few metres in front of them. Amy’s thoughts were filled with possibilities and potential ideas of how to ask for a separate room without drawing suspicion from her parents. Every single one of these ideas were quickly shut down by her brain though, because logic and reasoning dictated that adult couples sleep in the same bed, and they were _supposed_ to be an adult couple.

With a defeated sigh, Amy let her bags drop the short distance from where her hands hung at her sides to the carpeted floor. They landed with a small thud.

“I should’ve thought of this,” she said quietly.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jake replied softly, placing his own bags down a little more carefully than Amy had.

“It’s not.” Amy shook her head, and tried to blink back the tears in her eyes. Why were they even there in the first place? Why did she care? This whole thing was so stupid. It was a stupid idea that came from a stupid mistake that she _stupidly_ made. “I didn’t want this weekend to change things between us.”

“And it won’t,” Jake said simply. “It’ll be fine. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Amy felt Jake place his hand on her upper arm softly, and she sighed softly, turning her head upwards to look at him. He had a kind smile on his face, and she turned the idea of sleeping in the same bed as him over and over again in her mind for what felt like hours but was really only a few seconds before she replied.

“No, you can’t sleep on the floor,” she sighed decisively.

“Amy, it’s really fine. I don’t mind.”

She shook her head. “We’re mature adults-”

“Speak for yourself,” Jake interrupted with a pleased smirk.

Amy glared at him pointedly before continuing. “We’re mature adults _and_ we’re friends. We can sleep in the same bed.” She paused, and then, looking for confirmation, added, “Right?” She could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

Jake studied her face for a moment, as if looking for any doubt in her expression, and then nodded only somewhat apprehensively. “Right. Yeah.”

Amy stared him in the eye for a moment longer, studying his expression. When his cheeks started to redden slightly, she immediately looked away before her own skin followed suit, instead busying herself with straightening out the sheets on the bed and then perching on the edge. She swung her legs backwards and towards and watched them as they moved just for something to do. 

“I guess I’ll go... change in the bathroom?” Jake said, his words more of a question than a statement.

Amy nodded, not looking up at him. “Go ahead.”

While he was away, she busied herself with finding the most conservative pair of pyjamas she had packed, shuddering at the skimpy night dress folded neatly on top. As she quickly changed into her comfortable shirt and pants combo and stuffed her worn clothes away in her suitcase, she tried to breathe deeply and remind herself that _yes_ , this _was_ a bit of a disaster, and _yes_ , it _was_ going to be awkward, but Jake was her friend and he wouldn’t make her feel any more uncomfortable than she had to. She trusted him. He was goofy and immature, but he had always shown himself to be gentleman, and she really had nothing to worry about... right?

Amy glanced around the small room that she and Jake would be sleeping in for the following two nights. There was a small desk with a mirror, a tiny wardrobe, and an outdated TV in the corner of the room. She located the remote on the bedside table and turned it on, switching it to a random news channel before sitting down on the bed. She pondered how best to lie for a moment before climbing under the blankets and settling in.

When Jake emerged from the bathroom, Amy tried her best not to stare at him. From the corner of her eye, she could see that he was wearing a thin cotton tee-shirt and some baggy pyjama pants. He shuffled on the spot awkwardly.

“So,” he said, taking a tentative step towards the bed, “how do you want to do this?”

Amy shrugged. “Just get in,” she told him quietly, her voice cracking slightly. She was trying to seem a whole lot more confident than she actually felt inside. 

Jake smiled awkwardly before pulling the blankets back and quickly sliding into the bed beside her. She tightened her grip on the side of the bed that he couldn’t see in response.

Her partner cleared his throat quietly and she finally looked at him. He was smiling sheepishly at her, looking equal parts awkward and teasing.

“Sure didn’t think I’d be sleeping in the same bed as Amy Santiago when I woke up this morning,” he said.

Amy rolled her eyes. “We have lunch tomorrow with my family before the rehearsal dinner,” she said, trying to ignore the fact that the only thing separating the two of them was a few inches of air. “We should get some sleep.”

Jake studied her face for a moment longer, an expression as of yet unknown to her on his own, before nodding. “Okay.”

Amy threw herself onto her side so that her back was facing Jake and curled up into a ball. She listened for a moment as he hesitated before reaching over and turning off the lamp. Then, he slid down to lie flat on his back.

She heard him sigh quietly, and she squeezed her eyes closed tightly, trying to ignore his looming presence. He was _right there_. So close. If she wanted to, she could reach out and touch him. Hell, with little to no effort.

She would never admit it, but for just a moment, she _wanted_ to.

For a moment, swept up in all the craziness and stress of being around her family, she could think of little better than turning over and sliding herself into Jake’s arms, curling up into his side. She knew he’d accept her straight away, knew he’d embrace her with all the kindness he had inside him, but she didn’t quite feel ready to consider what that might mean for their friendship, _why_ Jake might always be so ready to comfort her. So she didn’t. Instead, she shook her head as discreetly as possible to rid herself of the thoughts, and then quickly, she fell asleep.


End file.
